Brooder



Nov. 19,` 192.9. L. T. ROBINSON BROODER Filed March 24, 192'? 2 Sheets-Sheet Vw 'Mouwqo www0/oo Nov. 19, 1929. y L. T. ROBINSON 15736625 BRooER Filed March 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rari /7 /g 49 l /4 anomalo Patented Nov. 19, 1929 l.UNITED STATES LEWIS T. ROBINSON, OF SILVER/DON, vOREGON BROODER Application filed March 24, 1927.

a slatted floor unit which will teach the chicksV to roost from the start. The floor slats are 5. at lirst closely spaced and close to the brooder house ioor for young chicks, but when the chicks grow sufficiently, some of the slats are removed, leaving only perch-forming slats. At that time or later, legs are inserted under lof-the Hoor unit to elevate it and accustom the chicks to elevated roosting. Used with the floor unit is a brooder unit to protect the chicks against cold, and it is the principal obyect of mv invention to provide a construc- -tion in which the brooder unit rests directly upon the floor unit whether the latter be in raised or lowered position, and in which said brooder unit is bodily removable from said floor unit when desired. By having the 2O brooder unit bodily removable from the floor unit, unobstructed access may be had to the latter whenever it is necessary to remove 0r insert slats and whenever the floor unit is to be cleaned. Moreover, by again resting the Vbrooder unit on the floor unit when the latter is supported at an elevated position, the head room for the chicks is not decreased as would necessarily follow if the floor unit were raised within the brooder unit.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brooder of the character set forth which embodies means for supporting the brooder unit when the latter is raised bodily from the floor unit.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawinffs.

Figure lis a side elevation of the improved brooder.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Figure 3 is a vertical transverse section. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the Hoor being elevated.

Serial No. 178,107.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, the floor being arranged differently.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the floor in the condition shown in Fig. 5.

The numerals 6 in the drawings above briefiydescribed, designate two parallel sills adapted to rest upon a brooder house Hoor or other lhorizontal support Y7, the ends Of said sil-ls rbeing preferably Vconnected by transverse bars 8. Supported by these sills 6, and forming therewith a Hoor unit, are a number of parallel slats 9 which are closely related to each other, but yare spaced apart slightly as indicated at 10, to Ypermit droppings to fall between `them and 'to allow effective ventila tion. The sills space the slats 9 upwardly from'the support-ing surface 7 so that there is little danger of `the chicks becoming injured by any poisonous -gases or` dampness which settles to the lo-west level, it being observed that the spaces l0 permit gases or moisture from the interior-ofthe brooder to settle into the space below -theslats 9. These spaces l0 are a-lso ofadvan'tage, in that they permit the young chicks to grasp the slats 9 with their feet,teaching them to roost, from the start.

At a suitable time, preferably when lthe chicksare about iive weeks old, l elevate the entire floor unit as shown in Figs. 4 A'and 5. This may be done in any desired manner, but to support said 'floor unit, legs l1 or equivalent means are inserted under the sills i6 and may Vbe supported in fixed relation therewith, in any desired manner. Wire netting 19, is preferably fastened around the space under the elevated floor unit, to prevent the chicks from walking upon the vdroppings which fall rthrough the spaces 10.

Elevating the floor unit, as above set forth, teaches the young chicks to jump or iiy upwardly, and when 4they have developed sufliciently to make such a change advisable, certain of the slats 9 are entirely Aremo-ved so that the remaining slats constitute spaced, independent perches, upon which the chicks must roost. Thus, they become accustomed to roosting, that when they are weaned from the broeder, no trouble is experienced in having them fly to'roost upon the perches of a hen house.

In connection with the improved floor unit, a broeder unit 13 is employed. This broeder unit rests on the floor unit whether the latter be in lowered or in raised position, and it may be bodily removed Jfrom said floor unit when desired. By removing the broeder unit 13 bodily from the floor unit, unobstructed access may be had to the latter whenever it is necessary to remove or insert slats and whenever the licor unit should be cleaned. Mereover, by again resting the broeder unit on the floor unitwhen the latter is supported at an elevated position, the head room for the checks is not diminished as would necessarily happen if the io'or unit were raised within the broeder unit.

To support the broeder unit 13 whenever i'i is raised clear of the floor unit, I connect cables or other flexible lines 14 with the brooder unit, passing these cables over sheaves 15 mounted above the broeder, and provide said cables with counterbalancing weights 16.

The broeder unit 13 is preferably provided withy a heat-retaining top 17, with electrical .heating means 18, and with suitable ventilators 19.

I claim:

1. In a broeder construction, a floor unit comprising sills and a multiplicity of closely spaced slats on said sills jointly forming a `floor for young chicks, a plurality of said slats being removable to leave only perchforming slats when the chicks have grown sufficiently to roost; legs insertible under said sills to support the perch-forming slats at elevated positions whenthe chicks have advanced sufficiently to train them for elevated roosting, and a broeder unit resting on and supported by said ioor unit when the latter ,is either in a raised or lowered position, said broeder unit constituting the sole enclosure for the chicks and being bodily removable from said `floor unit to give unobstructed access to the latter for removing or inserting slats and for cleaning.

2. In a broeder construction, a floor unit comprising sills and a multiplicity of closely spaced slats on the sills jointly forming a floor for young chicks, a plurality of said ,slats being removable to leave only perchforming slats when the chicks have grown sufficiently te roost; legs insertible under said sills to support the perch-forming slats at elevated position when the chicks have ad- :vanced sufficiently te train them for elevated roosting, a broeder unit resting on and supported by said floor unit when the latter is either in a raised or lowered position, said breeder unit constituting the sole enclosure 3for the chicks and being movablebodily up` 

